Why animal-lover Katie is a purr-fect fit for the RSPCA

Lincolnshire’s animals will be in safe hands when new recruit Katie Burris starts as a fully-trained and qualified RSPCA inspector this month.

Inspector Burris graduates with a City & Guilds qualification at a ceremony held at the animal welfare charity’s head office in Horsham, West Sussex, last Friday (November 3) before hitting the road as a fully-qualified inspector.

Inspector Burris worked for the charity for almost 20 years in other roles before embarking on the 12-month inspector training course.

She said: “I’ve been working for the RSPCA since 1999, firstly as an animal collection officer, then as an animal welfare officer and finally as an inspector, which has been my dream for many years.”

The animal-lover worked on pig farms for a number of years before joining the charity and says her favourite animals are pigs and dogs.

She owns two rescued lurchers called Clipper and Honey and is also nursing a poorly kitten - suffering from cat flu - called Kitten-Mouse!

Inspector Burris added: “I have always wanted to work with animals so being an RSPCA inspector was always my dream.

“I am already making a difference to the lives of so many animals.

“I love working for the RSPCA and I love being around so many fantastic people whose life goals are dedicated to animal welfare. There is no other occupation like it.”

Looking back on the training course - which involved seven months in the classroom and tackling practical assessments alongside 15 peers - she said: “I have enjoyed the training, it has been an intense course with many exams and lots to learn. I have also been very lucky that all of the other trainees with me have been really supportive to each other on this journey.”

Twenty-five new recruits embark on the same training course this month after being chosen from more than 4,000 applicants.

The RSPCA has just 287 full-time uniformed inspectors - each one covering, on average, an area of 172 square miles - compared to the police force which has a police officer covering an average area of half a square mile.